Monthly Archives: April 2017

The simple fact is, it’s essential to have strong muscles in order to carry out activities of daily living. This includes household chores, walking, working in the garden, and carrying in the groceries. Strength training should be a regular part of an active way of life.

After the age of 30, many adults lose about 1/2 lb. of muscle each year! This is mainly because of a decrease in activity. Also, with age, muscle mass naturally decreases. Body fat percentage will go up if you don’t do anything to replace the lean muscle mass which is lost. You can strength train at any age to protect and improve your muscle mass.

As a runner, I realize that adding resistance training to my running schedule will help me be a stronger runner as well as decrease my risk of injury. To gain the benefits of strength training, you don’t need to be a “bodybuilder” or spend hours a day lifting weights. It only takes 20-30 minutes, two to three times a week to see significant changes in your strength. People of all ages can gain positive results. It’s never too late to start!

Here are some of the important benefits strength training provides:

Increased bone mineral density, which can lower the risk of osteoporosis

Whether at home or in the gym, there are many options to work your muscles. This includes: using your own body weight (push-ups, squats), resistance bands/tubes, free weights (dumbbells, kettlebells), or weight machines. These are all effective tools to use for strength training and have their own pros and cons. Working with a combination is a great way to add variety and reduce boredom!

It’s appearing everywhere now a days. Lip balm, chewing gum, snack chips, protein bars and ice cream. And there’s the obvious products such as coffee, tea, and soda. Over 90% of American’s admit to regular caffeine use and 20-30% consume 600 mg (equal to about 6 cups of coffee) or more each day!

When consumed, it quickly enters the bloodstream and gets to all organs of the body within 40-60 minutes. The effects of caffeine can last up to six hours!

I love coffee. I drink it everyday. No cream, no sweetener. I realize that too much can have negative consequences, so I do limit myself to around 4 cups a day. Discovering that caffeine is being added to sport drinks, energy gels, and chews, I wanted to find out……Does caffeine actually have an effect on athletic performance?

Yes! Research concludes that caffeine enhances athletic performance. “Caffeine sustains duration, maximizes effort in cyclists, and quickens speed in an endurance event (Keisler & Armsey, 2006).” The feeling of how hard your body is working is reduced and high-intensity work feels less challenging. Most research exploring the performance benefits of caffeine has used capsule forms in doses around 400-600 mg, although benefits have been noted at doses as low as 250 mg.

Here is the content of caffeine per ounce in popular beverages/products:

Coffee: 13 mg

Monster Energy Drink: 10 mg

Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino: 8 mg

Iced Tea: 6 mg

Coke: 4 mg

Over-the-counter stimulants (NoDoz): 100 mg per capsule

Clif Shot (Mocha): 50 mg per shot (Double Expresso flavor has 100 mg)

So, drinking my coffee can enhance my performance? Great! But, there is a downside. Non-users (<5o mg/day) see more performance-enhancing benefits than regular users (>300 mg/day). As we adjust to regular caffeine use, the effects are reduced. Basically, we’ve built a tolerance to it.

It doesn’t help to keep increasing the amount of caffeine you consume. Doing that can be harmful, even toxic at high doses. Habitual caffeine use can lead to high blood pressure, high blood sugar, decreased bone density in women, sleeplessness, and jittery nerves. It’s important to take note if you have any of these symptoms.

Also, if you take a “break” from caffeinated products, you may have withdrawal symptoms. These include headache, irritability, drowsiness, decreased alertness, decreased energy, and difficulty concentrating. Personally, I can feel a headache coming on if I skip my usual coffee times.

Being a “chronic” coffee drinker, I haven’t noticed any benefits that enhance my performance. I do drink a cup before every run. I look forward to it and it makes me happy, so I guess that’s a positive benefit! I’ve never consumed caffeine during a race through sports gels or sports drink, although, I may try during a marathon in the future. Any help during 26.2 miles is welcomed!

With racing season in full gear, It’s so important to optimize our food choices to gain any advantages we can. Of course, it’s essential to eat a balanced diet all the time, but there are certain vitamins and minerals that we need to prioritize for optimal athletic performance.

There is not one diet in particular that helps us gain any athletic advantages, but there are six vitamins and minerals that are especially important to help ensure that your body is working to it’s fullest potential.

If I’m investing the time to train for a race or event, I want to make sure that I’m fueling with foods that will assist with my performance as well as enhance recovery. With that said, there are six vitamins and minerals that are exceptionally beneficial in order for you to perform your best.

IRON: Important for delivery of oxygen from the lungs to the working muscles. Athletic training in combination with low dietary intake of iron can lead to depletion of stored iron which in turn leads to restricted performance.

The best sources of vitamins and minerals are whole foods. Your body will more readily absorb nutrients from food rather than from a supplement. (Unless you have a deficiency and are advised by your doctor to take a supplement).

I believe we can gain a competitive edge by fueling our body with healthy food choices and paying attention to our nutrient intake. Junk in = junk out. If you want to perform your best and feel your best, then proper nutrition is essential!

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Disclaimer

This is a personal blog. All content provided is for informational purposes only and should not be substituted for professional or medical advice. Please consult with a medical professional before making any changes to your diet or beginning an exercise program.